Israel Revokes Credentials of Dutch Diplomats Following Settlement Trade Ban Dispute

Israel has given Dutch diplomats working in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, a seven-day deadline to surrender their Israeli-issued credentials. This move marks an escalation in tensions stemming from the Netherlands' recent ban on trade with Israeli settlements.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that the Netherlands' embassy in Israel was notified of the decision on Sunday evening, following the implementation of the new Dutch restrictions last week. "Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days," Mr Saar stated in a message shared on X.

He further warned that once this period expires, the diplomatic privileges and immunities granted to them by the State of Israel will lapse.

The Netherlands' new regulations, which took effect last Tuesday, ban the importation, purchase, and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements located in territories occupied by Israel. The measures also outlaw related brokerage and intermediary services, though the Dutch government clarified that trade involving goods produced within Israel's internationally recognized borders remains unaffected.

Mr Saar stated that the Netherlands may continue to represent its interests with the Palestinians, but must do so exclusively from Palestinian Authority territory rather than from areas Israel considers its own. Describing the action as retaliation for hostile Dutch policies, he emphasized that Israel will not tolerate measures designed to cause harm and warned that countries acting unilaterally against Israel will lose regional influence and relevance.

This diplomatic friction follows Israel's decision last month to remove Dutch representatives from an international Gaza support centre in Kiryat Gat due to actions taken by the Dutch government. The Dutch Foreign Ministry has not yet issued a comment regarding Israel's latest step.

The growing dispute unfolds amid broader Western pressure concerning Israeli settlement policies. While Britain, Canada, and France have also introduced restrictions on settlement goods, Israel has not yet taken comparable retaliatory measures against those nations.

Israel has maintained military occupation over the West Bank since capturing the territory in 1967. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jewish settlers have since relocated to the area, with settlement expansion accelerating under the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the UN and the majority of the international community view the settlements as illegal under international law, Israel disputes this interpretation, maintaining that the status of the territory remains contested. Meanwhile, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently called for military escalation in the West Bank and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.